Guidelines, Specifications & User Manuals

Guidelines for Reconstituting Medications

Steps in Reconstituting Medications

Helpful Information

Medication Reconstitution: Using the given directions, or recipe, on a prescription label to reconstitute the powder contained inside to a specific concentration as indicated. Reconstitution: The process of adding a diluent to a dry ingredient to make it a liquid.

How do you reconstitute powdered medicine?

Use aseptic technique to draw up the specified amount of diluent and inject it into the medication vial.  Roll the vial in your hands to dissolve all the powder (emphasize not to shake the vial).

How do you mix powdered medicine?

-remove the metal cover (inner lid) from the medicine vial. -inject the water, little by little, into the vial with the powder, releasing the surplus air into the syringe. Keep the powder vial and the syringe together; gently shake/move, until the powder is totally dissolved.

Which diluents are commonly used to reconstitute a powdered medication?

Examples of diluents include normal saline (NS), sterile water for inject (SWFI), Dextrose 5% in water (D5W), or lidocaine 1% plain. Once you have determined the proper diluent and volume required, draw up the diluent in a syringe and add it to the dry medication.